It is amazing how something as simple as social media can have a major impact on our lives in positive and negative ways; however, it all depends on what it is used for and how it is used. According to Google, social media is defined as “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking” and has become very popular over the years. I chose to research the effects of technology, specifically social media, on today’s youth because as it develops, they are being drawn more and more away from reality, and that could be dangerous for society in the long run. As someone who is a frequent user of social media, I see the negatives of it every day. For example, cyberbullying has become so common that it almost seems like the normal thing to do. Although that is a major issue that needs to be fixed, I would really like to discuss other problems and concerns that stem from using social media. Many adolescents have grown up using tablets, smartphones, and other forms of digital technology within an arms reach and are becoming virtually distant. If this is something that is going to be a part of everyday life, it needs to be used appropriately. “The internet once offered outlets we could use to understand one another. But they are rapidly disappearing” (Wortham, 2016). Social media today is effecting adolescents in a way that over-usage results in idleness and lack of face to face interaction, mental health issues, and privacy concerns.

In “Digital Overload: Too Much Technology Takes a Toll” by Ned Smith, he discusses how too much technology and social media can cause an information overload that leads us to believe that we are getting so much done when in all actuality we really are getting nothing done (2016). Social networking sites are a major distraction that can divert us from what is important. From personal experience, I know that it is very easy to sit on your cellphone, or an electronic devise, for hours when there is something more productive to do, like homework. For example, if someone is trying to do work and their Twitter notifications are constantly going off or receiving streaks on Snapchat they are most likely going to stop what they are doing to check them and eventually forget, or not even care, about the work that needs to be done. Smith talks about research he had discovered and also interviewed others about their research, and his conclusion was that we need to learn to balance out the use of devices and our normal lives because all of that multitasking is not good for the brain. A survey conducted found that as teens “spend more time engaged on social media platforms, it’s causing them to be less social in real life (Saiidi, 2015). Adolescence is a period of that is very important for social learning; however, applications like Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, and Tumblr ae shifting the way people think and interact, and it is not always in a good way (East, 2016). It is much more simple to send a friend request or hit the follow button than it is to go out and meet people, but that leads to a lack of sociality; you are really not getting to know someone when you are both behind a computer or phone screen. Although they may not know each other personally, they can gain connections or build relationships through social media without having any type of face to face interaction; instead of going out and meeting new people the old-fashioned way, they would rather lay up on their devices and “get to know” one another through social networking sites. This is a problem because it leads to laziness and a lack of interpersonal skills which one needs to be successful on an everyday job; learning how to make friends is a very important part of growing up. Social media has also made it easier to tune out the people we do not agree with, leaving one with a closed mind because they only care about their opinion and the opinions of those that agree with them.

Being on social media all day not only causes laziness but also leads to mental health issues because of the “standards” social media users set; if you do not gain a certain amount of followers or get a certain amount of likes or retweets you may be considered “lame”.  In an article by Susie East, she referred to a study done by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles brain mapping center that had thirty two teenagers use a social media app similar to Instagram and watch the activity inside regions of their brains; they found that certain regions of the brain were activated by the likes and the brain’s reward center became a lot more active. The thing is, the brain will do the opposite if the likes are not received leading someone to believe they are not good looking enough (2016). This relates back to the introduction where I brought up cyberbullying because that, along with not feeling popular enough, is where much of the mental health issues such as depression and self-esteem come from. It is assumed that certain characteristics of online behaviors may be predictive factors in depression identification and assessment. A study involving high school students “found a statistically significant positive correlation between depressive symptoms and time spent on SNS (social networking sites)” (Pantic, 2014). The essay suggests that one of the reasons why this is so is because communication based on social media can lead to altered impressions of “physical and personality traits of other users” (2014). What this means is that people use filters to make their photographs look just a little, or maybe a lot, better than they would without filters and also tend to act differently than they would if they were actually around others. This could also tie into having low self-esteem trouble. 

If someone does not feel good about themselves, they are more likely to pose as someone they are not on social media; today’s adolescents care more about their image than anything else. “Teenage girls sort through hundreds of photos, agonizing over which ones to post online. Boys compete for attention by trying to out-gross one other, pushing the envelope as much as they can in the already disinhibited atmosphere online. Kids gang up on each other” (Ehmke, 2017). When using social media, there is constant self-evaluation every day, competition and comparing self to other users, and a feeling of jealousy and narcissistic behavior which all contribute positively and negatively to self-esteem (Pantic, 2014). Social media has turned into a place for one to express themselves but many still get criticized for it. I have witnessed far too many times where someone voices their opinion or dresses and/or looks a certain way and gets attacked by just about the entire Twitter community for it because they are going against the grain and following their own trends. Teenagers have a hard time being themselves when it comes to social media and their peers, and although this is not at all okay, they must learn that it is better to be a leader than a follower and to not let what people say or think get to them. In “Beyond Direct Benefits: Indirect Health Benefits of Social Media Use,” Brenda Wiederhold discusses research that is being done to prove that the use of social media may help you live longer (2017). Friend requests, or followers, likes, and comments are things that boost one’s self esteem, and when people are happy with themselves and their lives, it benefits their health and well-being; however, not everyone receives this treatment on social media, so their self-esteem may not be as high. 

Another concern with social media that is rarely discussed is privacy. When it comes to social media people can post just about anything they want, whether it is appropriate or inappropriate. Some social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook for example, even have a setting to where users can share their location with their friends or followers. The information posted can be easily used by people who it should not be used by to track your location; letting the online community know about your whereabouts can lead to stalking and burglaries (Cohen, 2016) Along with this, people post quite a bit of their personal life on social media, and this can be very dangerous. Not everyone pays attention whose friend requests they are accepting or who is following them, but they may be paying attention to them. These people may include hackers. Hackers use spyware that can be easily installed onto devices like cellphones, iPads, and laptops through emails, shortened URLs, instant messages, or downloads; this spyware gives them information about passwords one uses on social media and other online accounts (2016). For example, there have been many encounters where someone’s Instagram account had been hacked and they had to create a whole new one; this tends to happen to people with a lot of followers. Along with hackers are identity thieves who steal your personal information from your accounts, things like your birthday and email address, to use for their own personal benefits. It is important to be very careful about what is being posted online, and many teenagers pay no attention or think much about it.

In conclusion, social networking sites are wonderful tools and have been around for a few years; however, they are degrading the minds of young people. My problem is not with social media itself, but more with how it is being used. The wrong ways that social media is being used is leading to laziness and a lack of communication skills, a decline in mental health, and an absence of privacy. If teenagers are going to continue to use social networking sites they must learn to use them appropriately and not let them take control of their lives. I believe that with enough work and fight, social media can be made safe and more appropriate for its young users. 
